Vandal-proof aerator



Sept. 24, 1963 E. P. AG HNIDES VANDAL-PROOF AERATOR Filed Feb. 12, 1957 l3 j: I \B 1 u I. I 22 FIG. 2.

J g/ 2B I 2? sz 29 Air 42 A" FIG. 4.

FIG. 5.

FIG. 5A.

INVENTOR. Elie P. Aghnides ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,104,827 VAL-PRGOF AERATQR Elie P. Aglinides, 46 W. 54th St, New York 19, N.Y. Filed Feb. 12, 1957, Ser. No. 639,783 2 Claims. (Cl. 23943tl) The present invention relates to improved fluid mixing or aerator devices; and is more particularly concerned with devices of this general nature which are especially suited for use on faucets or water taps installed in public places. In this latter respect, it should be noted that commercial aerators suggested heretofore have not found ready acceptance in public places inasmuch as they have been subject to rather easy removal from a water tap or the like, by acts of vandalism.

The present invention serves to obviate this known disadvantage of prior aerator structures, and comprises various forms of aerators which are substantially vandalproof, and which require a special key for removal of the same from a water tap, thereby rendering the said aerators eminently more satisfactory for public use. The present invention, in respect to the vandal-proof features to be described, comprises a continuation-in-part of my prior copending application Serial No. 560,299, filed January 20, 1956, for: Fluid Mixing Devices, now US. Patent No. 2,998,927, granted September 5, 1961.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide fluid mixing or aerator devices having an im proved casing construction.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of vandal-proof aerators or fluid mixing devices which are particularly suited for use in public places.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of aerator or fluid mixing devices so constructed that a special key is required for installation and removal of the same from a water tap.

In providing for the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention contemplates the provision of improved aerator devices which include a structural portion adapted to be mounted upon a faucet or water tap. This structural portion preferably includes various projections, apertures, depressions, or the like, adapted to cooperate with special keys whereby the mounting of the aertaor or romoval of the same from a water tap requires the use of such a special key. The nature of the structure employed is such that the key required could not be readily replaced by other objects normally in the possession of the general public; and in particular, the keys preferably employed should be of relatively thin crosssection and should preferably have a plurality of projections designed to mate with a plurality of internal apelrftures, depressions, or the like, within an aerator itse In preferred forms of the present invention, this structure is also associated with a further casing portion which is supported by or adjacent to the first mentioned portion affixed to the water tap; and this further casing portion is preferably freely rotatable in nature whereby general members of the public, upon grasping the external portions of the aerator, will find that it rotates freely without removal from the water tap. By these general provisions, therefore, the aerators of the present invention, although readily installed and removed from a water tap by one having a necessary key, cannot be readily removed by vandals, wherefore the aerators to be described are more practicably suited for use in public places.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

3 ,l0 4,827 Patented Sept. 24, 1963 ice FIGURE 1 shows one form of improved aerator structure in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 shows another form of aerator structure in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 3 shows a still further form of vandal-proof aerator in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 4 shows a further vandal-proof aerator in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 5 illustrates still another embodiment of the present invention, and in particular illustrates a form of vandal-proof aerator previously described in my aforementioned prior copending application Serial No. 560,299; and FIGURE 5A illustrates one form of key which may be employed, for instance in the arrangement of FIG- URE 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that in accordance with the present invention an improved vandal-proof aerator may comprise a body structure It having a plurality of external threads 11 adapted to mate with complementary threads on the internal or female end of a water tap 12. Body portion 143 includes a plurality of elongated narrow slots 13 spaced immediately below the lower end of water tap 12, and the said body portion 10 further includes an integral ring 15 defining shoulders 16 thereon. A pair of superposed discs 17 and 18 are supported within the fixed body structure 10 between that body structure and water tap 12; and these discs preferably have a plurality of apertures therein displaced from one another whereby they act to break up and agitate water passing therethrough and issuing from the lowermost disc 18 past the several slots 13.

A further body portion 19 defines a discharge outlet 29, and the said body portion 19 includes one or more mixing screens 21 therein which serve to cooperate with the aforementioned streamlets of water issuing from the lowermost disc 18 past slots 13, whereby a mixing of water and air occurs in accordance with known operation of prior aerators. The particular body portion 19 is, in accordance with the present invention, freely rotatable with respect to fixed body portion 10; and in particular, body portion 19 includes an upper stepped portion 22 overlying shoulder 16 on ring 15 whereby body portion 19 and the screens 21 therein can be freely rotated with respect to body portion 10 and with respect to water tap 12 without screwing or unscrewing the body portion it} from the said water tap 12.

The several slots 13 are preferably extremely narrow in nature since they need only provide for admission of air to the casing interior; and these slots are preferably made narrower than conventional nail files, whereby it would be highly unlikely that general members of the public would have any instrument readily available which could be inserted into said slots 13. These slots are in turn designed to cooperate with a special key of extremely thin construction, which key may have for instance a pair of spaced projections designed to fit between adjacent spaced slots 13 in body 10; and such a key may accordingly be inserted through slots 13 to unscrew body portion 10 from the interior of water tap 12.

In its general external aspect, the structure shown in FIGURE 1 comprises merely a water tap 12 having an aerator portion 19 therebelow, and freely rotatable therewith; and one merely grasping the body portion 19 will be unable to remove the said aerator from water tap 12. This construction, therefore, renders the aerator relatively safe from vandalism, whereby it is more readily acceptable to persons desiring aerators in public places.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGURE 2, and this particular embodiment again comprises an aerator having a fixed casing portion 25 adapted to be attached to a faucet (not shown) by threads 26. The fixed portion 25 thus differs from the fixed portion it), already described in reference to FIGURE 1, in that it can be placed about rather than on the interior of a water tap; and in practice the said portion 25 may be of sufficiently small width, or may be so screwed onto a water tap that it cannot be readily removed without the use of a special tool for applying substantial force to the body portion 25.

Body portion 25 again includes a lower shoulder portion 27 attached thereto and defining a plurality of air' inlet slots or apertures 28 therebetween. A freely rotatable casing portion 29 is supported on the shoulder defining portion 27 of fixed casing portion 25, and this freely rotatable member 2? again includes one or more mixing screens such as 36 therein.

The particular form of insert employed in the casing structure of FIGURE 2 comprises a body 31 taking the form of a single disc having a plurality of elongated apertures or chambers 32 therein, with the upper surface of disc S ll including a plurality of stepped portions 33 overlying the upper ends of chambers 32 whereby restricted orifices are provided at the upper ends of each of the chambers 32. Water from a water tap, therefore, passes through these restricted orifices into chambers 32 whereby said water is agitated and disturbed within chambers 32 and then passes onto mixing screens 30, thereby to mix with air from inlets 2d.

In the particular arrangement shown in FIGURE 2, disc 31 includes a downwardly extending projection 34 which passes through mixing screen 30, and which includes a retaining member 35 disposed below the screen 30. The arrangement is such that screen 30 is freely rotatable with respect to projection 34, as is the body portion 29 with respect to body portion =25, whereby again the external aspect of the aerator comprises for the most part a freely rotatable member, the rotation of which cannot screw or unscrew the aerator from a water tap. As was the case in the arrangement of FIGURE 1, the slots or apertures 28 are preferably extremely narrow, thereby requiring that a special tool be utilized in conjunction with these slots or apertures 28 to screw or unscrew the fixed portion 25 from the water tap.

Still another form of the present invention is shown in FIGURE 3, and this particular arrangement is of the socalled slotless aerator type. The aerator, as before, comprises a fixed portion 36 adapted to be attached to external threads on a water tap; and the said fixed portion 36 includes a shoulder 37 supporting a disc 38 thereon, the said disc 38 being generally of the type already described in reference to FIGURE 2. Member 36 {Luther includes an annular groove 39 surrounding the same, and the overall structure 3=6-38 is encased in a shell 49 having a plurality of depressions or indentations 41 therein adapted to mate with depressions 39 on fixed structure 36. By

this arrangement, therefore, the outer shell 40 can rotate freely with respect to inner member 36 whereby one grasping the exterior of the aerator will find that it freely rotates Without being screwed or unscrewed from a water tap.

Rotatable shell 40 further includes a plurality of shoulders 42 supporting a shell 43 having one or more mixing screens 44 therein; and air may enter the interior of the casing by passing upward from the discharge end of the structure past the several shoulders or depressions 42 to the region between the lower surface of disc 38 and mixing screen 44. Fixed structure 36 preferably has a pair of indentations 45 therein; and rotatable structure 40 also preferably has a pair of similar indentations 46. In practice, therefore, removal or mounting of the aerator requires that shell ltl be rotated so that indentations 46 align with indentations 45, whereafter a special tool having a pair of tines of small cross dimension, adapted for insertion through the pairs of mating indentations 4546, can be employed to exert force upon the normally fixed casing structure 36 thereby to screw or unscrew the overall device from a faucet.

Again, in the arrangement of FIGURE 3, the normal external aspect of the aerator is one comprising a freely rotatable shell 40 whereby one merely grasping the said shell 40 will find that it can be rotated without removing the device from a faucet.

Still another arrangement, in accordance with the present invention, is illustrated in FIGURE 4; and this arrangement is generally similar, from a casing point of view, to that already described in reference to FIGURE 1. The embodiment of FIGURE 4 illustrates, however, that the particular form of mixing structure employed within the casing is not limited to those already described and may take other forms such as may be desired. Thus, referring to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that an improved vandal-proof aerator constructed in accordance with this further embodiment of the present invention, may again comprise a fixed casing or coupling portion 50 adapted to be screwed onto the interior of a faucet 51, and the said portion 56 defines a plurality of slots 52 and a shoulder defining portion 53 adapted to support a freely rotatable lower casing portion 54 thereon.

in the particular arrangement shown in FIGURE 4, fixed coupling portion 59 defines an inclined inner-surface 55, the lower portion of which is closely adjacent to aligning webs 56 carried by an elongated rod 57 of the internal structure of the device. Rod 57 carries at its upper end a body 53 having a plurality of inclined grooves 59. on the external periphery thereof; and the lower portion of rod 57 is attached to an elongated spiral spring which is in turn supported, as illustrated, on a shoulder within the lower rotatable portion 54 of the device.

Before water is applied to the upper end of the overall structure, the several internal parts assume the general configuration shown in FIGURE 4. However, upon application of water pressure, the grooved body 58 is pushed downward against the restraint of spiral spring 60 into a position adjacent the inclined surface 55 in coupling 54) whereby surface 55 cooperates with the several grooves 59 to define a plurality of restricted orifices therebetween. At the same time, spiral spring 60 is depressed to a substantially fiat configmration whereby it acts as a mixing surface.

This particular arrangement of parts thus comprises an automatically adjustable aerator wherein the flow of Water and the amount of aeration depends upon the applied fiuid pressure; and this particular arrangement also corresponds to one wherein the interior of the casing may be readily flushed and cleaned of foreign particles without removing the overall structure from the water tap. As before, the structure may be removed by use of a special key of extremely thin construction adapted to be inserted into one or more of the narrow air apertures 52., thereby to apply force directly to the fixed coupling portion 50 of the overall device.

Still another form of vandal-proof aerator constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIGURE 5, and this particular form in fact corresponds to a form of such aerator previously described in my prior copending application Serial No. 560,299, already identified. In this respect, the improved aerator is associated with a water tap 61 having a plurality of internal threads adapted to mate with external threads 62 on a fixed coupling portion 63. The said fixed coupling portion 63 in turn defines an outstanding shoulder 64 adapted to support a freely rotatable shell 65 at a position immediately below the lowermost surf-ace of water tap 61; and the shoulder defining portion 64 further defines a plurality of indentations 66 on its lower surface adjacent the inner surface of rotatable shell 65. Fixed coupling portion 63 further defines a central bore 67 having a serrated edge adapted to cooperate with a similar serrated edge 68 on a member 69 disposed as shown. Member 69 in turn includes a plurality of webs 7t) for maintaining the said member in alignment with member 62,

and further includes an elongated rod 71 extending therefrom to a position adjacent the outlet of the device.

One or more shells 72 having mixing screens 73 thereon are supported as illustrated adjacent rod 71 whereby in normal practice the mating serrated surfaces of members 67 and 63 form a plurality of restricted orifices therebetween for admission of streamlets of water to mixing screens 73.

The device of FIGURE 5 is adapted to be readily cleaned by applying a manual upward force on head 74 of rod 71 whereby body 69 is lifted in position, thereby to separate the mating serrated edges 67 and 68 to greatly enlarge the size of orifices defined therebetween. It will be noted that the particular aerator shown in FIGURE 5 comprises another form of slotless aerator in that air enters the device adjacent the discharge end of the overall structure and passes upward on the exterior of the shells 72 to the region between mixing screens 73 and the mating serrated edges already described.

In order to remove the device from water tap 61, a special tool, such as that shown in FIGURE 5A, must be employed, having elongated tines 76 adapted to pass upwardly from the discharge end of the device adjacent the interior of rotatable shell 65 into locking position with depressions 66 on fixed coupling 62. Such a special key must, therefore, be employed to remove the device from the aerator; and in order to prevent one from removing the structure by merely grasping head 74 of rod 71, it is preferable to employ a thread direction for threads 75 which is opposite to that employed for threads 62; e.g. if threads 62 are righthand threads, threads 75 should be lefthand threads, and vice versa, whereby it is impossible to remove the entire aerator by merely applying an unscrewing force to rod 71.

While I have thus described preferred embodiments of the present invention, many variations will be suggested to those skilled in the art, and it must therefore be stressed that the foregoing description is meant to be illustrative only and should not be considered limitative of my invention. All such variations and modifications as are in accordance with the principles of the present invention, are meant to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim to have invented:

1. An improved aerator for a water tap comprising a coupling portion having threads adapted to be attached to complementary threads on the downstream end of said water tap, fluid mixing means supported by said coupling portion in non d-riving engagement with said coupling portion whereby movement of said fluid mixing means cannot effect corresponding movement of said coupling portion, said fluid mixing means covering the coupling portion to render it manually inaccessible, means for admitting air to the interior of said aerator adjacent said fluid mixing means, said fluid mixing means receiving water from said water tap and mixing the water with said air, said coupling means including manually inaccessible driving surfaces adapted to cooperate with a removably insertable key for attaching or detaching said coupling portion from said water tap.

2. An improved aerator comprising a casing including fluid mixing means, coupling means adapted for attachment to a Water tap for supporting said casing adjacent the downstream end of said water tap whereby said casing receives water from said water tap, said casing covering and being carried by the coupling means and rendering the latter manually inaccessible when the coupling means is attached to a Water tap, means for admitting air to said casing whereby said fluid mixing means mixes said water and air, said coupling means and casing being in nondriving engagement with one another whereby movement of said casing cannot effect corresponding movement of said coupling means, said coupling means including manually inaccessible driving surfaces which must be engaged to effect removal of said aerator from said water tap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 641,191 Champion Jan. 9, 1900 1,506,184 Keliner Aug. 26, 1924 1,675,353 Kellner July 3, 1928 2,316,135 Turek et a1. Apr. 6, 1943 2,316,832 Aghnides Apr. 20, 1943 2,510,395 Goodrie June 6, 1950 2,565,554 Goodrie Aug. 28, 1951 2,633,343 Aghnides Mar. 31, 1953 2,675,218 Bletcher et al Apr. 13, 1954 2,744,738 Hjulian May 8, 1956 2,754,097 Hjulian July 10, 1956 

1. AN IMPROVED AERATOR FOR A WATER TAP COMPRISING A COUPLING PORTION HAVING THREADS ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO COMPLEMENTARY THREADS ON THE DOWNSTREAM END OF SAID WATER TAP, FLUID MIXING MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID COUPLING PORTION IN NON-DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COUPLING PORTION WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID FLUID MIXING MEANS CANNOT EFFECT CORRESPONDING MOVEMENT OF SAID COUPLING PORTION, SAID FLUID MIXING MEANS COVERING THE COUPLING PORTION TO RENDER IT MANUALLY INACCESSIBLE, MEANS FOR ADMITTING AIR TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID AERATOR ADJACENT SAID FLUID MIXING MEANS, SAID FLUID MIXING MEANS RECEIVING WATER FROM SAID WATER TAP AND MIXING THE WATER WITH SAID AIR, SAID COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING MANUALLY INACCESSIBLE DRIVING SURFACES ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH A REMOVABLY INSERTABLE KEY FOR ATTACHING OR DETACHING SAID COUPLING PORTION FROM SAID WATER TAP. 